Chapter 7

SEVEN

Maverick

I’m antsy. It’s Saturday afternoon, and later this evening, I’m picking Stella and Ada up and taking them to dinner to celebrate her new job. I knew Jordyn would hire her—not just because Stella’s amazing and needed some good tossed her way, but because my entire family is convinced I’m trying to date her.

Do they think I have no game? Come on. If I were really trying to get her to be mine, everyone would know it. That’s the Kincaid way, after all. Well, unless you’re Brooks and Palmer. And, well, we all know how that turned out. The man has knocked her up twice already.

Anyway, I’m sitting on the couch, staring at the TV, fighting the urge to check the time on my phone when I know damn well that I still have some time to kill before I’m supposed to be there to pick them up.

Merrick keeps watching me with a smirk on his lips. It’s the damn twin thing. I’m not checking my phone, so he won’t give me shit, but it’s as if he can read my mind, anyway. I love being a twin, but this, it’s a pain in my ass at the moment.

“What’s going on tonight?” he asks.

“I’m going out.”

“Want some company?” he offers.

“I’m picking someone up.”

“Does that mean I can’t come?”

I glance over at him, and he grins. “Just ask me.”

“Fine. Where are you taking her?”

“Who?” I’m being difficult, but he is too.

“Stella.”

“What makes you think it’s Stella?” I haven’t told a single soul that I’m picking Stella up and taking her out to celebrate tonight. I’ve texted her off and on all week, making sure she knows she can’t get out of this. That’s what good friends do. We show up for each other, and I know that Stella needs someone to show up for her. Ada too.

“Probably because she told Jordyn, who told Ryder, who told me when I stopped by their place to help him move a shelf.”

Ah, the joys of having gossipy brothers. “Fine. It’s Stella and her daughter. I’m taking them to dinner to celebrate her getting the job with Jordyn. She’s new in town. I’m just being a nice guy.”

“That’s the story you’re going with?” he asks, amusement in his tone.

“It’s not a story if it’s the truth.”

“Just admit that you’re into her, Mav.”

I shrug. “She’s nice. She’s been through a lot and doesn’t have any friends in town.”

“So, you pay for all your friends” cars to be fixed, find them jobs, and then take them out to dinner to celebrate.”

“Apparently,” I grumble. I know how it looks, but damnit, he’s my brother. My twin, the other half of me. Why can’t he see I’m just being a good person?

He nods, tapping his index finger against his chin. “I admit it’s a nice touch. Reel her in, get her hooked, then really put it on her.”

“Put what on her?” I’m pretty sure he’s sober right now. I look around to see if I can see evidence of a beer or maybe a shot sitting around.

“The Kincaid charm. I understand she’s skittish, being a single mom and all that. You have to be cautious. Good plan to include baby Ada.”

“I’m including her because we’re friends, and I know she doesn’t have a lot of options for childcare at the moment.”

“Oh, you know if you wanted her all to yourself, Mom and Dad would watch her. Hell, you could ask any of us, and we’d say yes. Granted, Stella might not be okay with me since I’m a single guy and all that, but the others have wives, and I’m sure she’d be fine with it.” He’s nodding as he talks as if he needs to convince himself what he’s saying is true.

It’s all bullshit.

Well, not really. He’s right that my parents would gladly watch Ada for an evening, and he’s not wrong about my brothers and their wives either. I also know that Merrick would keep her, but he’s also not wrong about the single guy thing. At least not until she knows us all better.

I make a mental note to include her in more of our events. I’m sure Jordyn is all over that too. We’ll have her used to our clan in no time.

“See.” Merrick points at me. “That face tells me you agree with me.”

“You’re losing it, man.” I laugh.

His laughter mingles with my own. “Seriously, bro, if you’re into her, let her know.”

“I’m just helping her out and taking her for dinner to celebrate her new job. That’s it.”

“I’m going to be the best man, right?” he asks. “I mean, we’re twins.”

“Am I going to be your best man?” I ask him. I don’t know why I’m even entertaining this conversation. Curiosity, I guess.

“Yeah, I mean, unless you pick one of the others. Then hell no.” His grin tells me he’s kidding.

“Fine. You can be my best man. When I find the woman I’m going to marry.” She’s out there. It took some of my brothers years to find their special someone. I’m certain mine will come along eventually, and when she does, yeah, my twin will be my best man.

“Stubborn. You know how this works, Maverick. You’ve seen it seven times now.”

“Friends. Repeat after me. We. Are. Just. Friends.”

“For now.” He stands and stretches his arms over his head. “I’m headed over to Brooks’s place. He’s off this weekend, but Palmer is shooting an engagement this evening. I told him I’d come over and help him with the kids. I’d ask you to come, but I know you’ve got plans with your girls.”

“Yeah. No. I mean, yes, I have plans with Stella and Ada. They’re not my girls.”

“Have fun!” he calls over his shoulder as he makes his way down the hall to his room.

I still have a while before the agreed-upon time that I could pick Stella and Ada up from her grandparents” place. I’ve thought about calling several times to see if she wanted to move up the time, but I assume when she gave me a time, it was to work around Ada’s nap schedule. At least, that’s my assumption. I know she didn’t have to work today at the boutique. Maybe she was helping out at the hardware store with her grandparents. Regardless, I have three hours, and I can’t sit here for a second longer.

Grabbing my phone and keys, I head out to my truck. I’m driving through town when I realize that I forgot a blanket. I plan on taking them to Sunflower Park. The food trucks are going to be there all weekend, and she mentioned she’d like to take Ada there.

Knowing I have lots of time, I head to Harris. It doesn’t matter that I’ll be driving the twenty minutes back to Willow River, and then another twenty back to Harris. I have three hours to kill and sitting at home is just making me stir-crazy. So, I crank up the radio and get lost in the music as I head toward the Walmart in Harris to buy a blanket.

By the time I pull into the parking lot, my nerves are less frayed, and I’m smiling freely. It’s nice not to have to worry about my brother seeing more in my mood than what’s truly there. It’s a nice summer day. The sun is shining, and there were good tunes on the radio all the way here. That’s definitely worth a smile.

There’s a cart out in the middle of the parking lot, which makes me roll my eyes. Five more feet and the asshole could have pushed it into the cart corral. Instead, they leave it out in the middle of a parking spot. Not only is it lazy, but that’s an open invitation for a door ding. All it takes is a little wind, and the cart could go crashing into someone’s car. I’d be pissed if it were my truck.

Inside, I head to the home goods section. I push the cart up and down the aisles, looking for a blanket. I finally find a black and gray quilt. Not very girly, but then again, what am I going to do with a girly blanket? I toss the quilt inside and move to the end of the aisle. I turn left, and on an end cap, there are bubbles.

I wonder if Ada likes bubbles? Who am I kidding? She’s a kid; of course she likes bubbles. I grab a green bottle and toss it into the cart. Turning down the aisle, I see all the toys. She’s just turned one, so half of these things are a choking hazard for her. Until I reach the end of the aisle and find rubber alphabet blocks, that’s something she would play with or chew on while we eat. I toss that into the cart too.

I need some bottled water for work next week, so I might as well get it while I’m here. I head to the other side of the store and stop in the middle. There’s a sign for a digital camera on clearance. I take a quick picture and text Palmer and Scarlett.

Me: Is this a good camera?

Palmer: It’s 20 MP, so yeah, that’s a good one.

Scarlett: Are you planning on coming to work with us at Captured Moments?

Me: I’m at Walmart, and it’s on sale.

Palmer: And you’re in the market for a camera?

Me: Yep.

Me: What else do I need for this thing?

Palmer: A memory card. How many pictures do you plan on taking?

Me: Just a few here and there.

Scarlett: 32GB memory card will get you around 1100 images for reference.

Me: You two are the best sisters ever!

Palmer: There’s more to this story. What do you think, Scar?

Scarlett: Definitely.

Me: Can’t a guy want to take some pictures?

Palmer: What’s wrong with your phone?

Me: Nothing, I just wanted something different, and it’s on sale.

Palmer: Sure thing, Mav.

Scarlett: Tell Stella and baby Ada we said hello.

Palmer: Let me know when I can add her to the family chat.

Shit. Nosy, gossipy brothers and sisters.

I don’t reply. That’s not a conversation I want to get into with them. Besides, I bet my savings that they’re already texting my other sisters-in-law and talking about me. They have a group text. My brothers and I have the same, and then we have a family one with all of us, minus our parents. There are times when we make a special chat to include Mom and Dad, but for the most part, we keep them out of it so we don’t have to worry about cleaning up our mouths for Mom.

Shoving my phone into my pocket, I wave over the clerk and purchase the camera. He upsells me a memory card and a case. Fine, whatever. It’s under two hundred bucks for all of it. It will be worth it to see the smile on Stella’s face when we get to take some pictures of Ada in the sunflower field.

Camera purchased and the receipt stapled to the bag, I move on to finish my shopping. That is until I pass the baby section. I glance over. One quick glance has me stopping in my tracks. It’s a little sundress with a hat that has sunflowers all over them. She has to have that, right? I mean, this is a Sunflower Park photoshoot, after all.

The only problem is that I have no idea what size clothes she wears. I could text my sisters-in-law, they could probably guess, or even my mom, but I’ve tossed enough fuel at those flames for one day. Instead, I grab my phone and call Stella.

“Hello?”

“Quick question.”

“Okay?”

“What size clothes is Ada wearing?”

“What?” she asks. I can hear not only humor but confusion in her tone.

“What size is she? 2T? Wait, no twelve months. She’s one, so twelve months, right?” I grab the twelve months and hold it up.

“She’s in eighteen months.”

“Oh, okay. So, it’s not just by age, then?”

“No, not always. Maverick, what are you doing?” she asks.

“Nothing. I’m at Walmart.”

“And you needed to know what size clothing my daughter wears?”

“Yes. It’s a surprise. You’ll see later.”

“Should I be worried?” she asks, chuckling softly.

“Nah, it’s a good surprise.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

“I’m still picking you ladies up at six, right?”

“Yes. If you still insist that we need to go out to celebrate.”

“I insist.” I look at the items in my cart and grin. “I’ll be there at six, maybe a little before.”

“That’s fine. She’ll be up from her nap, and we’ll be ready to go.”

“Great. See you soon, Stel.” Hitting End, I slide the phone into my pocket and toss the outfit into my cart. Pushing on down the aisles, I grab a case of water and a couple of bags of Cool Ranch Doritos. Merrick and I both love them.

By the time I check out, I still have plenty of time. I head home, unload the few groceries that I tossed in my cart, and unbox the camera. I plug it in to charge. Thankfully, the battery is showing it’s 75% charged already. The house is quiet, and I’m thankful Merrick is gone. Without a doubt, he’d be giving me shit over this purchase. Not that he’s not going to, anyway. I’m actually shocked word has not made it back to my brothers yet. I guess it’s still early. I’m certain by the time I go to bed tonight, they’ll have the intel.

An hour later, I packed up my new camera and headed to pick up the girls. When I knock on the door, I step back, not expecting George to answer. I mean, I know this is his house and that Stella is his granddaughter, but I’m still surprised.

“Good to see you, Maverick. Come on in.”

“You too, George.” I step inside and close the door behind me.

“So, you’re taking my girls out tonight?” he asks, smiling.

“Yeah. I thought Stella needed to celebrate her new job at the boutique.”

Before he can grill me, Stella walks into the room. “Hey.” She smiles, and so does Ada as she lifts her arm and waves. She coos and babbles like she always does when she sees me.

“Ada girl, you know I need snuggles.” I walk to where they stand just a few steps away and take Ada from her, rubbing my stubble against her cheek and making her giggle. “You ready?” I ask Stella.

“Yes.” She picks up the diaper bag and tosses it over her shoulder.

“I won’t have them out late,” I tell George.

“You kids have fun.” He leans over and kisses Ada’s cheek, but she shies away and buries her face in my neck. “I see how it is.” George laughs before turning to Stella. “Don’t leave an old man hanging, Stella.”

“Never, Gramps.” She smiles and places a kiss on his cheek. “You and Grams have fun at bingo.”

“You know your grams, that’s her thing. I just tag along because it makes her happy.” He smiles widely.

“Let’s get moving.” I bounce Ada on my hip. Her laughter fills the room, and it’s infectious. What is it about baby giggles?

Once we’re on the road, Stella glances over at me. “Where are we going?”

“Well, I thought we would have a picnic of sorts.”

“A picnic? You packed us a picnic?” she asks. There’s a little awe and surprise in her question, and I wish I would have packed us a damn picnic.

“Not exactly. We’re going to a park where there are a ton of food trucks, like fifteen or so. They have anything and everything you could want. I thought we could eat and let Ada play on a blanket.”

“That’s… very sweet of you, Maverick. You’re always thinking about and including her. I appreciate that. I appreciate you. You’ve made this transition to Willow River so much easier for us, and financially, between my car and the job, you’ve been our guardian angel.”

“I’m no angel; just ask my momma.” I laugh. “I’m happy to help out. It’s nothing, really. Besides, we both have to eat, and we should do it together to celebrate your new job. How’s that going, by the way?”

“Great. Jordyn is so nice, and it’s all fairly easy. I’ve been helping her set up a new display this week.”

“That’s great. I’m glad it’s working out.”

“For the first time in a very long time, I feel like things might be looking up for us.” I see her out of the corner of my eye and look into the back seat at her daughter. “We have you to thank for that. The day we met you, good things started to happen.”

“It was just your time,” I tell her.

“You have your theory, and I have mine.”

“Fair enough.” I pull into the park, and she gasps.

“Sunflower Park? This is where we’re going?”

“It is. Is that okay?” From her initial reaction, I’m certain it is, but I could be wrong.

“Yes. Maverick.” I can hear the emotion in her voice. “You knew I wanted to bring her here.”

“I did, but the food trucks are here tonight too.” I nod out the window. “It’s like being at the fair, only on a smaller scale. Who doesn’t love fair food?”

“Thank you, Maverick.” She unfastens her seat belt and leans over to place a kiss on my cheek.

Something happens at that moment. My chest tightens, and I lift my hand to rub it. It’s a sensation I’ve never felt before. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Yeah,” she agrees.

“I’ll grab Ada. Do you want to sit in the back of my truck or find a tree to sit under? I assume a picnic table would be annoying for her being confined.” The sun will be setting soon, but for the moment, it’s still high in the sky, so that shade will be nice.

“Yeah, I should have brought a blanket.”

“I have one. The tree?”

“Yes, the shade is perfect.”

“I’ll get Ada and the blanket. I have a Walmart bag on the back floorboard. Can you grab that too?”

“I can get her.”

“Baby hog,” I tease. “Don’t deny me snuggles. I get that enough from my family.”

“Fine.” She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling.

I like her smile.